Ensilage distributor



Dec. 30, 1930. F. c. REINKE 1,787,261

ENSILAGE DISTRIBUTOR Filed May 5, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR.

gal 4M Dec. 30, 1930. F. c. REINKE INVEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS Patented Dec. 30, 19 3O i a r I i j STATES mm-1T .OFFiCE T FRE D 013mm, or 'womeo, WISCONSIN i ENSILAGE ms r nrnn ron "Application-filed may 5, 19283'Seria1No, 275,441. g

This invention relates to improvements in the; upper portion of a silo, showing the blowensilagedistributors "p r V erandvdistributor in attachment therewith, i This common practice, in filling silos with part being broken. away, 'en'silage, to employaiblower to. convey the gFigz2is a vertical sectional View taken 5 fodder to an openinginfthe top of 'thesilo. through-the ensilage, distributor; i Q 55 Through this opening the material is dis-' Fig. 3vis a detail view of the lower end of charged, the latter heaping upat a point'dithe-distributor; -e rectly below the discharge opening of the "F 1g. 4 is a-fragmentary view of the disblov'ver. Because of: this uneven distributributor showing the propeller and gearing 1 t'ion in the bottom of the silo, it is necessary in connection therewith I n to employmentol spread the ensilage as it 'cFlgfifi' is a sectional view taken on the line is fed in by the blower. Thisfspreading .by 5-5; ,of'Fig. 2; and v I hand not only consumes considerable time, F lg.16 is va sectional view taken onthe line but it is detrimental to the ensilage to have 6-6 of Fig. 2. i the men tramping upon'it in the silo. i g t0 the i g, the numeral 8 5 It is one ofthe objects of this invention to deslgnates a silohaving an upper, opening provide an ensilage distributor which will 9, through which the upper end of a blower V automatically spread-the ensilage evenly p1pe10 extends; The discharge end of the throughout the silo as it is fed in by the blow lower pipe is formed with a connecting 1 er, -obviating the" necessity of doing the fiange'll which'is bolted or otherwise secured U spreadingbyhand. p to a flange 12 on the upper end of the ensilage It isa further object'of this inventionto distrlbutor 13. The ensilage distributorai's provide an ensilage= distributor having a Suspended from the roof of the silo by a bail spreading member which has both circular 1 1 whlch extends from the upper end of the and reciprocal movement'at the same time, to d1str1butor. most eificiently spread the en'silage; I p The'body .rportion 1 1 oflthe distributor is It is-a f-urtherobjectfof this invention to tubularain shape and'is formed preferably provide means forimparting rotary and rebfrmetaL; In one side of the "tubular body, ciprocal motion to the spreading member, at an intermediate point, is an opening 15 ,30 hi h means i d i b th f lli ifor a; propeller 16. The propeller comprises 8 o lage." f f I adisk 17 having a central opening18 and It is a furtherobjectof this inventionto having a plurality of blades 19 secured at ro id a i ilag di stributo having a pair intervals to its outer periphery. The blades f spaced p ta pre'ading plates with means a're'disposed at right angles to the disk. The 3 for fadjusting the distance I between said propelleris'rigidly mounted on a shaft 20, $5 plates to render the device suitable for disthe latter extending th'roughthe opening 18 tributing', a'large --or small flow of ensilage. and having its ends journaled in bearings 21 It is a further object of this invention to on; the tubular body. a

provide an'ensilage distributor which is sim- The shaft carries rigidly a small bevel ple in construction, eflicient in-operation, and gear 22 which meshes with the larger bevel 99 well adapted for the purpose described. gear 23'mounted rigldly on the upper end of 'Withthe above' and other objects in view, avertically extending shaft 24. The latter the invention consists of the improved enshaft is journaled in bearings 25.' On the silage distributor and all its parts and-'comlower endof the shaft 24 is a pinion 26 which binations as set forth in the claims, and-all engages a pinion 27' on 'the upper end of a 9 equivalents thereof I r 1 short shaft 28,"the latter being journaled "In the accompanying drawing, in which in a bearing 29; 'On the lower end of the the same reference characters designate the shaft 28 is a rigidly mounted pinion 30.

same parts 'in all ofthe views: The lower end of the tubular body portion Fig. 1 is avertical sectional view through is enlarged as at 31, and has secured thereto Space between theplatesa l I an annular member 32 which is L-shaped in cross section formlng an annular'flang'e 33 on the lower end of the tubular body portion A ring gear '34 having an inner annu lar recess 35 for receiving the annular recess 33 rests on the flan e, and isadapted to ro tate onithe same; he ringgear 34fmeshes 'With'the pinion 30 on the lower end of the shaft-28. f o Secured to the ring gear by bolts and nuts. 36 is a-ring 37 Metal strips 38, each'having a pair of hinge members 39 on'thetlower side,

are secured to opposite portions "of the 37. A pair of spreading-plates40 carry come, plementary hinge members 41, the latter.

being pivotally' connected to the h-ingernenr bersi39 to. allow the plates :40 to swing back and forth. A rod42 is securedto andextends across an intermediate portion of eachiplate. Each rod has' projecting; threaded end portions. Stripsv havingfa pluralityof periorations 44 near each end, connect the ends of the rods tO'hOldf the plates inspaced' apart relation; Nuts 45secure the'strips on the projecting endsof the rods: 42. The plurality of perforations 144 allow the space between the plates to be varied when desired. Fora smallflow of ensilageit is preferableto have the plates close together, and for/a large flow the: plates must .be spreadfarther apart to prevent the material from cloggng up in the "On an int'erme'd"ate portion of the tubular body is a fixed ring bevel gear 46.' The latter meshes with a bevel gear 47 revoluble on apin 48 extending from an arm 49. The lower end of the arm 49 is secured to the ring 37. The intermediate portion of the armi49 is' ueshaped and has pivoted thereto a crank 50. The lower end of the crank has a perforation 51 therein through which abolt 52 extends to pivotally-connec't the'end'ot V thecranklwith the strip 43. The upper end of the crank is formed. with a slot 53 through which a stud screw 54 extends, thestud being e'c'c'entrically: positioned onlth'e outer face of the gear 47 in any one of the perforations 54.

' 'Withinthe tubularbodyportion is auiding strip 55 .which is engaged by an a justr'n'ent screw 56. By turning the screw 56, the strip '55 may be adjusted toward or away from. the propeller. 16to most efliciently guide propeller. j V v 4 v o 7 .7

: 'Theoperation of the device is as follows: The ensilage-i's forced into the upper end of the'tubular, body portion by the blower, and it isthen guided over the propeller blades by the 'guidingmembe'r's'5'5. The force of the blower and the weightoi the falling ensilage act upon-the blades 19' to cause a rotation of the falling ensilage over the blades of the the propeller The movement of'the pro-'7 pelle'r is transmitted to the vertical shaft 24 by the gears 22 and 23, and by the pinions 26,127, and 30 is'i'n turn transmitted to the ring gear 34. The latter gear revolves around the tubular body portion. carrying the spreading plates 40 in a circularcourse;

.At the same time, the arm 49, uponwhich' the bevel gear 47 is 'mounted,'is carried around in a circle, the gear 47 being rotated by reason of its engagement with theimparts motion to the crank 50, the latter,

causing the spreading plates 40 to reciprocate'back and forthas'they travel in a circle -withthe gear 34. Theensilage falling between the plates is therefore distributed evenly throughout the silo by reason of the simultaneous circularand 'reciprocal movementoftheispreading.plates,- f

The plurality ofperforations ;54-f 51i {the gear 47. allowsan adjustment of the crank 50 When the bolt-"54 is in one of the outer perforations, {theeangleptisswhig. of the" spreading, plates will be greater than when in the inner'perforationsa Generally, when starting to fill a silo',,oneiofthe inner perfog rations'is ;used, and. when thesilo is partly filled, the angle: of: spread is V-increased vby using one of the outer perforations;

From the foregoing descriptionlitmay be seen that the improved ensilage distributor is simple in construction, eflicient in operation, and well adapted; for the purpose de scribed. c or lVhatlI claim is:;-

- 1.' An ensilage distributor comprising a tubular body portion having an opening atone end for'receivingfalling ensilage and having an opening at its other end for. discharging the same, aspreading member connected to the tubular body pofr'tionadjacent theidischarge opening, a propeller extending within the tubular body portion and operated, by the falling ensilage, adjustable means vfor guiding the ensilage toward said propeller,

7 andmeans operatedby said propeller -fojr ,im

parting reciproeal motion to said spreading member. f f

2. An ensilag'e distributor comprising a tubular bodyportion having an upper gopjening for receiving falling ensila e, having a lower openingiior discharging t e same, and having a side opening, a ring gear adjacent the discharge opening otthe tubularbody portion and revoluble aboutithe' same,'a :pair

of spaced apart spreading plates pivotally secured to said ring gear,.a-prope1ler extending withinthe side openingof the tubular con- 7 'nectedto an intermediate portionofl t e up "are r wardly extending arm, the upperend of said crankbeingslotted, a bolt projecting from an eccentric portion of the vertically positioned bevel gear and extending through the the slot in the crank, and means for holding the spreading plates in spaced apartposition,

. the lower end of the crank being in pivotal opening for discharging the same, a spread ing memberconnected to the tubular body portion adjacent the discharging opening, operating means extending within the tubular body portion and operated by the falling ensilage, adjustable means for guiding the ensilage towards said operating means, and

' means operated by saidoperating means for imparting reciprocal motion to said spreading member. I

' In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

FRED C. REINKE. 

